Ted Schwerzler

Buckle up Twins fans; the starting rotation just got a massive jolt. According to Jon Heyman the Minnesota Twins have acquired Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Tyler Mahle. Twins Daily's Ted Schwerzler reported that the Twins have sent infield prospects Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand and starting pitcher prospect Steve Hajjar to the Reds. Tyler Mahle was one of the top three starting pitchers on the trade market, along with Luis Castillo and Frankie Montas , both of who were traded earlier. He not only should assist the Twins in a tight AL Central division race, he definitely slots in as a playoff-caliber starter if the Twins make the postseason. His 4.40 ERA doesn’t tell the story his 3.61 FIP suggests. Playing in the bandbox that is Great American Ballpark, his 9.7 K/9 should slot in as the best in Minnesota’s rotation. Mahle doesn’t issue a ton of walks, and he’s kept the homers down to just 1.0 HR/9 this season. Advanced analytics like Mahle quite a bit as well. His expected ERA is 3.20 and he’s never allowed a high barrel rate. Having registered less than a 30% hard-hit rate each of the past three seasons, his stuff gives him a good chance to compete on a nightly basis. He’s turned up the whiff rate in the past three seasons, and that coincides with an increasing amount of chases from opposing hitters. Mahle sits in the low-to-mid 90’s, and is predominantly a fastball-changeup arm. Given a future window of competition, Minnesota hasn’t looked to acquire partial-year rentals in the rotation and Mahle represents proof of that. He’s under team control through 2023 and is making just $5.2 million this season. At 27 years old, he could also certainly be an extension candidate for the Twins if they choose to go that route. The Minnesota Twins worked with the Cincinnati Reds this offseason to acquire Sonny Gray in exchange for 2021 first-round pick Chase Petty. It can be assumed these discussions started back then, and the two sides came together again when the front office was able to swing a deal for Mahle.For fans suggesting the front office work to add at least one starting pitcher alongside a reliever or two, this is about as strong of a step forward as could’ve been expected. But it comes at a significant cost. Not only are three players top Twins 20 prospects, all of them have had remarkable seasons this year. Spencer Steer , a third round draft pick in 2019 (and #6 on TD’s Twins prospect list) sailed through AA and has continued his hot hitting in St. Paul, posting a 889 OPS with 20 homer runs between both leagues. Christian Encarnacion-Strand (TD’s #16) began 2022 with 14 RBI in his first two games in High-A Cedar Rapids, has also been promoted, and currently has a 1085 OPS in AA as a 22-year-old. Steve Hajjar (TD’s #19) was last year’s 2nd round draft pick, and has 71 K in 43.1 innings in Low A Fort Myers, with a 2.89 ERA in 12 starts. Still, that’s what prospect capital is for at the trade deadline. The Twins have gained significant rotation help for the division race, and a frontline starter that can bolster the group for the rotation. Stay tuned to Twins Daily for more trade deadline updates in the coming hours. View full article

Starters and hitters often get the glory, but there’s been plenty of solid relief performances on the farm over the past month as well. Given a constant need for pitching help, any of these performances could translate to future opportunity. Honorable Mention Wladimir Pinto (St. Paul Saints) 6 G, 8.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 6 K, 0.00 ERA, 0.88 WHIP Drew Strotman (St. Paul Saints) 6 G, 6.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 7 K, 1.35 ERA, 1.20 WHIP Andrew Cabezas (Wichita) 8 G, 10.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 9 K, 0.87 ERA, 0.79 WHIP Jackson Hicks (Fort Myers) 8 G, 11.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 14 K, 1.59 ERA, 0.90 WHIP Number Three: Matt Mullenbach (Cedar Rapids) 6 G, 6.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K, 0.00 ERA, 0.98 WHIP Mullenbach was transferred back to High-A Cedar Rapids at the beginning of July after spending most of May and all of June down in Fort Myers. He worked as a late-inning reliever for the Kernels and proved to be a useful arm at the back end of the bullpen. Old for the level at 25, Mullenbach could push for a move to Double-A if he replicates this month through August. Mullenbach was originally in the Mets system back in 2019 and joined the Minnesota organization last year. He did have a Triple-A appearance in 2021, and while these types of minor league adds generally wind up being organizational depth, there’s no reason why noteworthy outliers can’t exist. Number Two: Cody Laweryson (Wichita) 7 G, 16.1 IP, 13 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 15 K, 0.55 ERA, 1.10 WHIP Maybe a bit unfair in racking up additional innings, Laweryson did make a spot start this month for the Wind Surge. Even with the additional opportunity, he continued a very solid year. Working almost exclusively as a reliever now, Laweryson has taken a sizeable step forward from where he was in 2021. The strikeouts continue to come in bunches and he does a good job limiting walks. Minnesota selected Lawyerson in the 14th round of the 2019 draft from the University of Maine. He pitched in the Arizona Fall League for Minnesota last season and the additional challenge against heightened competition seems to have served him well. Just 23 years old, Minnesota has to be happy with how the start of his pro career has gone. Number One: Hunter McMahon (Cedar Rapids) 8 G, 14.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 11 K, 0.64 ERA, 0.50 WHIP McMahon was promoted from Low-A Fort Myers to High-A Cedar Rapids at the end of June. He responded by being lights out and finishing four games for the Kernels. Having collected six saves this season between the two levels, McMahon has shown an ability to work late in games and get big outs. His 9.3 K/9 this season is a bit lower than 2021, but he’s continued to issue virtually no free passes. The Washington Nationals took McMahon in the 9th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft. Now 24, McMahon joined the Twins organization in 2021 when they traded reliever Ryne Harper. He was little more than a lottery ticket, but pitching like this could certainly give him future promise for a pitcher they were going to instead lose for nothing. Congratulations to each of these relievers on a fantastic month! View full article

Sometimes you fail to plan, which is not what the Minnesota Twins did this offseason. Sometimes you plan to fail, which certainly could be what the Minnesota Twins did this offseason. Entering the trade deadline period, Minnesota needed to address pitching in both the starting rotation and the bullpen. They also found themselves in the market for catching help, although that was more by circumstance rather than a reflection of their own decisions. No matter what way you look at it, the 26-man roster needed something like four or five additions to truly be considered supplemented. How does that reflect what took place this winter? Every team in baseball has an ample amount of opportunity to spend money. While some organizations are better off than others due to desirability or revenues, no front office bill will ever scratch the surface of what an ownership group can truly afford. On that end, I was told by a front office source during this season that the desire to hit $150 million from a payroll perspective is something that will not likely be touched. That could change as economic standards adjust, but in the foreseeable future, Minnesota will not reach that threshold for an Opening Day roster. Per Spotrac, Minnesota’s current payroll sits at $138 million for the season, or roughly $10 million below what is seen as a non-starting amount. In getting there, they paid handsomely for Carlos Correa ($35.1 million) and brought in Gary Sanchez to replace Mitch Garver. Sonny Gray commands $10.6 million and was acquired for a prospect that the Twins handed a $2.5 million bonus just a year prior. Up against where ownership has given the front office somewhat of a line, that meant value plays had to pan out. The front office gambled on a bullpen largely reflective of their own development. Even without considering the Taylor Rogers trade, that meant big innings would be needed from Jhoan Duran (who was not seen as a lock going into Spring Training), Tyler Duffey, and Caleb Thielbar. The only addition to the relief corps was Joe Smith, a 38-year-old veteran with no velocity making just $2.5 million. On the starting front, behind Gray, it was all bargain bin additions. Dylan Bundy was a bounce-back candidate at $4 million, and Chris Archer was inked to an incentive-laden deal that starts at just $2.75 million. In and of themselves, neither pitcher has been the issue, while both have provided plenty of issues for Rocco Baldelli as a whole. Smartly, the skipper has tried to avoid having any of his back-three pitchers in the rotation see a lineup for the third time. Archer and Bundy have both been bludgeoned as games have gone on, and that’s made for significant bullpen workloads. On the flip side, a taxed relief unit that has largely underperformed has given a constant chicken-or-the-egg situation to navigate through. This all goes back to the situation Minnesota now finds themselves in, and if the plan originally dictated by ownership, was worth it. The front office has to play within the parameters of the budget given to them. That’s always going to present a value proposition scenario in which you attempt to acquire the most amount of return for the least amount of money. Bundy and Archer are a perfect representation of that; so too is Joe Smith. The significant surplus was applied to Correa, but then it was deemed that the well had been tapped. Say the Twins' front office could’ve been given another $10 million during the winter, does that change the level of starting arms they target looking to take work off the plate of the bullpen? Could they have added another reliever or two and passed on Smith being the only reinforcement? Adding at the deadline is a tricky scenario in that you’re likely bringing on more money anyways, and vying with multiple suitors all attempting to acquire the same available talent. I certainly don’t think there’s an argument to be made that the Twins front office failed to plan this year. They didn’t want the slew of injuries, but no one does. If they failed to plan, it was in that the constraints presented by ownership, and maybe not pushed back on by the front office, left them a couple of pieces short to start, and even more when the season drew on. There’s probably never an amount that represents enough spending in the eyes of fans, and that’s really not a fair place to operate a budget from. Considering the actual acquisitions, however, squeezing value from all but the big one clearly didn’t provide enough of an opportunity to withstand the rigors of a long season. View full article

The Minnesota Twins wrapped up July by going 10-12, although it was their only month of the season in which they’ve posted a negative run differential (-18). Byron Buxton was on a tear in June and parlayed that into his first All-Star Game appearance. Who followed in his footsteps this month? Although the record was under .500 for the second straight month, the Minnesota Twins remain atop the AL Central and continue to keep an eye on postseason play. Rocco Baldelli has needed more from both his pitching staff and lineup at times this season, but these guys have helped to hold serve in the batter’s box. Honorable Mention 3: Jorge Polanco 22 G .206/.372/.480 2 2B 6 HR 13 RBI If there’s a month in which a Twins player wanted to declare batting average dead, it was July for Jorge Polanco. He batted just .206 but had a top-4 OPS among teammates. His ability to draw walks and control the zone really shined in July as he put up an impressive 19/20 K/BB. While contributing just 15 hits in July, Polanco blasted nearly half of them out of the park. Settled in as one of baseball’s best second basemen, Polanco returned following injury in June and had himself a solid flip of the calendar. Honorable Mention 2: Gio Urshela 14 G .304/.327/.522 4 2B 2 HR 9 RBI Urshela missed the end of the month as he went on the paternity list due to the birth of a child, but he put up strong numbers at the dish for Minnesota. Much of Urshela’s contributions this season have come in the form of highlight-reel defensive plays, but he’s upped the OPS+ to 110 after a strong July. Urshela certainly doesn’t look like the slugger he was for the Yankees back in 2019, but he’s settled in as a reliable regular for Minnesota, and that consistency is valuable on a team that’s been so struck by injuries. Honorable Mention 1: Luis Arraez 22 G .314/.352/.465 7 2B 2 HR 7 RBI Arraez continues to seek his first batting title and owns a .333 average on the season. His overall month dropped that number, but he remains four points ahead of the Cardinals Paul Goldschmidt for the major-league lead, and is nine points ahead of Boston Red Sox Rafael Devers in the American League. It’s going to take a strong August for Arraez to remain out in front, but that’s hardly out of the question for the talented contact-maker. Hitter of the Month: Jose Miranda 20 G .353/.405/.603 2 2B 5 HR 19 RBI There was that brief moment that Minnesota optioned Miranda to Triple-A in order to make room for Royce Lewis. He never actually made the appearance and then immediately rejoined the Twins. He’s been on a tear since and July has been the best month as a big-leaguer. Miranda now has 10 homers this season, and while he won’t catch Julio Rodriguez in Rookie of the Year voting, an OPS north of .800 following such an abysmal start would be an amazing outcome. The hope was that both Miranda and Alex Kirilloff could help to contribute in a big way for Minnesota this season. The latter’s wrist has continued to give him fits, but the former has provided a replication of his 2021 minor league number in a big way. If this is the opening act for Miranda in the majors, watch out. View full article

Just the short-season affiliates were in action today, but only one of them was able to make the contest much of a game. The Dominican Summer League team played something like a football game, and the score leaves plenty to be desired. TRANSACTIONS RHP Aaron Sanchez contract selected by Minnesota Twins from Triple-A St. Paul OF Mark Contreras recalled from Triple-A St. Paul RHP Yennier Cano optioned to Triple-A St. Paul C Jose Godoy DFA'd by Minnesota Twins COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 11, FCL Orioles 7 Box Score Former New York Yankees pitcher Ben Heller continues to build back up in the minors. Having not pitched since 2020, he remains with the FCL club. Today he worked two innings giving up an earned run on no hits while walking four and striking out three. Down 1-0 after the first inning, Malfrin Sosa put the Twins in the lead in the third with a two-run blast, his first of the year. Allowing the Orioles to take back the lead in the bottom half, the Twins broke out in a big way during the 4th inning. With the bases loaded Breilin Ramirez walked and pushed Wilfri Castro across the plate. Malfrin Sosa then grounded out but drove in Rafael Cruz to retake the lead 4-3. Willie Joe Garry Jr. lifted a single to left, scoring Yonardy Soto and a Ricardo Olivar single then brought Sosa across the plate. After the Orioles cut the lead back down to one, 6-5 through six innings, Castro singled home Olivar and Danny De Andrade to again provide some breathing room. In the 8th inning, Olivar crushed his fourth homer of the year, a three-run shot, to make it 11-5 and hopefully put things out of reach. Unfortunately the Orioles had other plans and added two in the 8th inning and two in the 9th inning making it 11-9. Another update on the card market similar to Carlos Aguiar's Bowman's from a couple of weeks ago. Although he's been quite lackluster thus far this season, a hot streak could help out the desirability for Sosa. He's repeating the FCL again this year, and put up a .683 OPS in 18 games last season. Ideally Minnesota would've liked to see a step forward, but he's still quite young and should get a look at Fort Myers next season. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Rockies 22, DSL Twins 13 Box Score Only in the Dominican Summer League do you see scores like this (unless you remember that Toronto Blue Jays bludgeoning of the Boston Red Sox recently). The Twins starter Oscar Paredes only recorded two outs while giving up six runs (three earned) on four hits and two walks. It’s impressive that the Twins were able to generate 13 runs on fourteen hits while taking only four walks. Infielder Harold Grant stood out as the lone batter to record three hits on the day. He did blast his third homer of his career in the process. Both Isaac Pena and Junior Del Valle had two hits. The inning that did the Twins in was an 11-run outburst during the top of the 5th inning. The Rockies recorded 19 hits on the day and drew another seven walks. This likely isn’t one these prospects will want to remember for long. Most of today's starters were lifted as this one got out of hand. Yasser Mercedes continues his strong year and had one hit. He owns a .921 OPS. Jose Rodriguez was hitless today, but his OPS remains at .999 on the year. Grant is just 17 and the .925 OPS he owns benefitted from the nice outing today. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Ben Heller (FCL Twins) - 2.0 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 3 K Hitter of the Day – Ricardo Olivar (FCL Twins) - 3-4, 2 R, 4 RBI, HR(4), BB, K TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Omaha (7:05PM CST) - TBD Wichita @ San Antonio (7:05PM CST) - TBD Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - TBD Bradenton @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Monday’s games! It sure is exciting to have all four Twins full-season affiliates and the two Complex Season affiliates back and playing. View full article

Following a tilt against the Tampa Bay Rays on April 30, the Minnesota Twins announced first baseman Miguel Sano had a torn meniscus and would undergo knee surgery. He returned following the maximum rehab assignment and now is again back on the injured list after just three games. Is this the end of the line? Although Miguel Sano spent the maximum 20 days on the injured list, he played in just 12 games. The Twins curiously had part of his rehab assignment take place during the All-Star Break which ate up time that Sano could’ve gotten in at bats. Regardless, he performed extremely well on the farm, slashing .333/.422/.795 split across a few Complex League games and Triple-A. Relegated to the back-end of Minnesota’s lineup, Sano got in just six at-bats before returning to the injured list. Drawing two starts but playing just one complete game, it’s clear Rocco Baldelli sees the slugger as little more than a revolving piece at this point. Sano was hitless in his return to action and posted four strikeouts without generating a walk. There’s no denying that the front office took as much time as they could to look at options before activating Sano. It appeared a possible DFA was on the table, and that would’ve left the Twins on the hook for the remaining $7 million or so on his deal. In a perfect world, they’d find a trade partner to offload his remaining commitment, but there’s just little reason for anyone to pay for Minnesota’s anchor of an expense. So now it remains to be seen what an eventual timeline for a return to play looks like, but it’s hard not to imagine this being the end of the road. We’re into August and the 26-man roster needs to be best positioned for a Postseason run. Gilberto Celestino was optioned to make room for Sano initially, but it’s hard to argue he’s not of more value as a fourth outfielder. Even though Alex Kirilloff is hurt and that takes away an option at first base, the Twins have developed other depth there in the form of Jose Miranda and Luis Arraez. If the timeline is short, and it probably won’t be considering the previous handling of the same injury for Sano, a decision would need to be made as to how he factors back in. Another rehab stint could happen, but that would just be delaying the inevitable. If a return can happen in something like 10 days, Sano could find himself as an option given the health of the current roster. Even then, however, that DFA from before could again rear its head. Maybe Minnesota would rather not end this era of such a highly prized prospect on a whimper, but it didn’t seem to deter them before. Across 694 games with the Twins during his eight-year career in the big leagues, Sano has blasted 162 home runs. There’s been highs and lows, but I think it’s probably safe to assume this is where it ends. Should he not play another game in a Minnesota uniform, what would register as some of your favorite memories for the Dominican product that sparked an entire documentary and put the Twins farm system on the map? View full article

The Minnesota Twins selected Matt Wallner in the 1st round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft. In 2022, he began the year playing at Double-A Wichita. Now up with Triple-A St. Paul, the Forest Lake, MN native is settling in. After getting off to a bit of a slow start this season, Matt Wallner turned on the jets for the Wind Surge. Prior to his promotion he played in 78 games and posted a ridiculous .299/.436/.597 slash line with 21 homers. Just before appearing as a representative for the Twins in the All Star Futures Game, Wallner was promoted to St. Paul. Still finding his footing at the Triple-A level, Wallner is looking for his first extra-base hit and home run. He’s no stranger to the confines of CHS Field, however, as it’s just a quick 30 minutes from where he calls home. Wallner has risen the ranks among Twins prospect lists, and now finds himself as one of the organization’s best bats. At Southern Mississippi, Wallner starred both on the mound and at the plate. He hasn’t pitched in professional baseball, but his arm may be as special as his power. Reigning things in at the plate, Wallner has also taken steps forward when it comes to protecting the strike zone. How he continues to factor in as an offensive producer remains to be seen, but there’s no denying the current level of production will turn heads. Catching up with Wallner this week following his All-Star week excitement and the promotion, he had a few answers for me to share with Twins Daily readers. Twins Daily: What's been the biggest change since your promotion? Have you noticed anything significant between the two levels? Matt Wallner: Nothing crazy - certainly more veterans and older guys at AAA but at the end of the day it’s still baseball. TD: How has playing pro ball just a half hour from home been? MW: It’s really great to be playing back in Minnesota so close to home, it’s awesome to have friends and family at every home game and play at CHS where I played in the past as a high school player. TD: What was the Futures Game experience like? What was the best part? MW: The Futures Game was awesome, so cool to play against the best players in the minors at Dodger Stadium. The best part for me was hitting the home run in the game but overall it was just a great experience all the way through TD: Considering the development of your game as a whole this year, what is something you're continuing to focus on in the second half? MW: I would love to continue to be more patient at the plate and take more walks. I think that’s been a huge jump in my game for me this year and would love to continue to focus on that. View full article

Despite a couple of strong performances from key contributors, it was a tough night of the farm for Minnesota Twins affiliates. Jermaine Palacios blasted a couple of dingers and Louie Varland was good on the bump, but plenty more was left to be desired across the board. TRANSACTIONS RHP Brad Peacock signed by Minnesota Twins and assigned to Triple-A St. Paul RHP Jake Petricka released by Minnesota Twins RHP Wladimir Pinto released by Minnesota Twins OF Gilberto Celestino recalled by Minnesota Twins SAINTS SENTINEL Iowa 5, St. Paul 4 (F/10) Box Score The Saints went with former top prospect Jordan Balazovic tonight. As has been the case much of the season, he struggled. Allowing three runs across just 2 2/3 innings, Balazovic was tagged for five hits and two walks. He struck out four but gave up two dingers. St. Paul was down 2-0 after the first half, but Curtis Terry singled to halve the lead in the bottom of the first when Spencer Steer crossed the plate. Dereck Rodriguez was great in relief working 5 1/3 innings with just three hits and one run. Rodriguez gave up a single free pass but grabbed three strikeouts, Down 3-1 in the 7th inning, Jermaine Palacios tied things when he hit his 8th homer of the season. He then answered again in the 9th inning when it was 4-3, by blasting his 9th of the year and tying things at 4. With Juan Minaya taking over in the 10th inning, he uncorked a wild pitch allowing a go-ahead run. St. Paul couldn't answer despite Jake Dave up with the bases loaded and they fell a run short. WIND SURGE WISDOM NW Arkansas 3, Wichita 2 Box Score Louie Varland has been great this year for the Wind Surge, and despite runs against him tonight, he repeated that performance. Working five innings, Varland allowed seven hits but just one of three runs scored were earned. He generated eight strikeouts and walked none. Getting down 3-0 in the 2nd inning, Wichita needed to do work. The Wind Surge answered back in the bottom of the 3rd inning when Leobaldo Cabrera blasted his 7th homer of the season. Still trailing by two, at least Wichita was on the board. Trying to mount a comeback, Edouard Julien drove in Cabrera with a 9th inning ground out. Unfortunately, that’s where the adding ended. Wichita tallied eight hits on the night, but only Anthony Prato and Cabrera had two. KERNELS NUGGETS Wisconsin 4, Cedar Rapids 0 Box Score The Kernels turned to Cade Povich tonight and he kept them in it through five innings. Allowing five hits and three runs, Povich also posted eight strikeouts while giving up just a single free pass. Matt Mullenbach followed him with two scoreless innings striking out two. Unfortunately for Cedar Rapids, only two hits were generated on the night, coming from Jake Rucker and Wander Javier. Both were singles and neither plated a run. The Kernels walked four times and had just a total of six runners tonight. MUSSEL MATTERS Postponed The Mighty Mussels and Tampa Tarpons game was postponed due to inclement weather. It will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Saturday. Both games will be seven innings. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 2, FCL Red Sox 1 Box Score Ben Heller started this one and worked two innings of hitless ball while striking out two. Regi Grace also tallied a scoreless inning with a strikeout. Ricardo Olivar had the lone two-hit game for the Twins and recorded both his third triple and dinger of the season. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Rockies 10, DSL Twins 5 Box Score Cristian Jimenez drew the start for the Twins and while he gave up three runs, none were earned. He did allow just three hits and punched out four with zero walks. Bryan Acuna kept hitting and had another two-hit game today, this time including a double. Anderson Nova crushed his first professional homer and has a .966 OPS. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Louie Varland (Wichita) - 5.0 IP, 7 H,, 3 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K Hitter of the Day – Jermaine Palacios (St. Paul) - 2-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR(9) PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #6 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 0-2, R, 3 BB, K #7 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 2.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 2 HR #10 - Cade Povich (Cedar Rapids) - 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB #11 - Louie Varland (Wichita) - 5.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R,1 ER, 0 BB 8 K #12 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 0-4, BB, 2 K #15 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-3, RBI, BB #16 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Wichita) - 0-5, 3 K SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Iowa @ St. Paul (7:07PM CST) - RHP Cole Sands NW Arkansas @ Wichita (6:05PM CST) - RHP Brent Headrick Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (6:40PM CST) - TBD Tampa @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - RHP Travis Adams Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday’s games! It sure is exciting to have all four Twins full-season affiliates and the two Complex Season affiliates back and playing. View full article

The Minnesota Twins spent the first ten rounds of the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft focused on collegiate level talent. Then they grabbed catchers in rounds 11 and 12, before finally taking their first prep player in the 14th round. Omari Daniel is now committed to Minnesota, foregoing a scholarship with Oregon, and he’s ready to get his pro career underway. Omari Daniel is a Georgia native selected as a shortstop out of The Walker School. He has solid instincts and a smooth delivery across the diamond. Daniel is able to pump a fastball in the low-90’s, but can also generate a bit higher velocity when throwing from his position. He’s a taller kid at 6’2”, but will look to add muscle on his frame when getting into pro ball. He underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2021. The Twins had to feel confident they could reach a number that would get a deal done when taking Daniel in the 14th round, and after a week of consideration, Daniel feels good about signing on the dotted line. Before he heads to Fort Myers, I caught up with him for Twins Daily. Twins Daily: You were the Twins first high school selection this year. Obviously, prep stats are more difficult to track, but tell us about your game a little. What's your style and how do you settle in at the plate? Omari Daniel: People would say my play style is very electric, quick, and fast-paced. I like getting teammates involved in everything. Being a team player is big for me. From a hitting approach, I like to think about hitting the ball to the opposite field for a fastball, and for off-speed, think hitting the ball up the middle or pull side. TD: With so much draft excitement, you've certainly known this day could be on your radar for a while. What has the preparation for the draft looked like and what did it feel like to be selected? OD: Since having surgery, I have been doing my physical therapy three days a week. The focus has been on wanting to get back healthy and 100%. TD: Playing in Georgia, you've got to be familiar with a former Twins first-rounder from Baxley in Byron Buxton. What can you say about ballplayers from your state? OD: Georgia for sure has the best baseball athletes in the country. TD: Committing to Oregon you obviously set yourself up in a position to play at an elite program. What are you most excited about the next step in your journey now looking at turning pro? OD: I look forward to a learning experience from different coaches and teammates. Being more developed as a player would help me be a big leaguer. Being a Twin could teach me these things. Being in the Twins farm system could help me grow as a player and person. TD: What do you know about the Minnesota Twins? Have you ever been to Target Field before? OD: I have not been to the field. I know that the Twins have one of the best developmental farm systems there is. TD: If there's someone you want Twins Territory to know about you as a player or person, what is it? OD: I am ready to help this organization as a shortstop as best as I can. View full article

Who knows how the Minnesota Twins handle their catching situation the rest of the way. Maybe the infield becomes the most unpredictable group in baseball. No matter what, they need to add and the time is now, Let's go! TRANSACTIONS C Dillon Tatum reinstated from the IL by Single-A Fort Myers C Frank Nigro transferred to FCL Twins RHP Luis Rijo transferred to Single-A Cedar Rapids RHP Sean Mooney placed on IL with a right neck strain SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 9, Iowa 5 Box Score On Wednesday afternoon, the Saints turned to veteran Aaron Sanchez. He worked around six hits and while two runs crossed the plate, neither were earned. Sanchez also struck out three batters and walked just one. The scoring started in the 2nd inning when catcher David Banuelos launched a no-doubter to left-center bringing in Roy Morales as well. Iowa evened things in the top of the third inning, but Mark Contreras plated Tim Beckham on a 3rd inning groundout. Following up his earlier big fly, Banuelos stepped in during the 4th inning and blasted a second longball, his 6th of the season. This one was of the solo variety. Michael Helman struggled mightily at shortstop early in this one, but he made up for it at the dish when he doubled to drive in Matt Wallner in the 5th inning. Wallner got on with a walk after just missing what looked like his first Triple-A home run. In the 6th inning, Spencer Steer lifted a sacrifice fly to score Elliot Soto, and then Jake Cave launched a two-run oppo-taco scoring Banuelos. Generating breathing room, St. Paul was now up 8-2. After Austin Schulfer allowed a three-run bomb, the Saints picked their pitcher up when Soto doubled to drive in Morales and make it 9-5. Ian Hamilton came on and slammed the door working 1 2/3 hitless innings and punching out three. Five different Saints hitters had multi-hit games including Cave, Helman, Soto, Banuelos, and Tim Beckham. WIND SURGE WISDOM NW Arkansas 5, Wichita 0 Box Score The Wind Surge went with Casey Legumina tonight on the bump and he turned in just three innings of work. Allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits, Legumina also struck out two but gave up three free passes. A solo shot in the 4th inning ultimately did him in. Northwest Arkansas continued adding in the 6th inning and by the end of the frame, Wichita was down 5-0 while being outhit 11-1. The Wind Surge put runners on first and second in the bottom of the 9th inning without recording a hit, and then DaShawn Keirsey Jr stepped in. He singled to center loading the bases, but Nash Knight was called out on strikes to end the game. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Wisconsin 4 Box Score Luis Rijo was returned to the Kernels today after working back from injury, but his start could’ve gone much better. Allowing three runs on four hits, Rijo walked one and didn’t record a strikeout on the day. Cedar Rapids didn’t wait around to start the scoring today, and Kyler Fedko announced his presence in a big way when he launched a solo shot to lead things off. Seth Gray then made it back-to-back jacks with his 11th of the season. Before the first three outs were recorded, Yunior Severino drove in Aaron Sabato with a single to r After seeing their lead erased by the bottom of the 2nd inning, Cedar Rapids then went back to work. Charles Mack ripped a double in the 5th inning allowing Dylan Neuse to scamper home. In the 6th inning Jake Rucker stepped up with a double to plate Severino before a Jeferson Morales sacrifice fly brought Wander Javier in. Neuse then contributed at the dish with a groundout to drive in Rucker. Wisconsin tried to go on a run and close the gap, but all they’d get was a run in the 7th inning. Both clubs recorded eight hits, but no one on the Kernels saw two on the day. Matthew Swain got the win working 2 2/3 innings allowing just two hits. Derek Molina recorded his 4th save. MUSSEL MATTERS Game 1: Tampa 3, Fort Myers 2 (F/7) Box Score Pierson Ohl took the ball for game one of the twin bill. He turned in five solid innings of work allowing three runs on six hits while walking just one and fanning six. It wasn’t enough for the win, but Ohl kept the Mighty Mussels competitive this afternoon. Two runs against Fort Myers came in the 1st inning while the third was tallied in the 2nd. Fort Myers responded on a Misael Urbina double in the 3rd inning, and their last run was plated on a Luis Baez 5th inning single. Both squads recorded six hits in game one, and Tampa actually committed two errors, but the Tarpons got the necessary third run to grab the victory. Urbina was the lone Mighty Mussels hitter to grab multiple hits in the first game today. Game 2: Fort Myers , Tampa (F/7) Tampa 7, Fort Myers 1 Box Score Jordan Carr drew the start in game two. He went four scoreless allowing just one hit and punching out four. Carr gave up a walk, but that was the extent of the Tarpons opportunities in the nightcap. After a tough game one, Keoni Cavaco singled in the 3rd inning to plate Urbina and Fort Myers grabbed the lead. Unfortunately Anthony Escobar went belly up to the tune of six earned runs without recording an out. Despite Juan Mendez working the final two innings, all of the damage had already been done, COMPLEX CHRONICLES No Game DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Cardinals 5, DSL Twins 3 (Suspended/5) Box Score Today’s tilt was suspended in the 5th inning with the bases loaded due to lightning. Bryan Acuna continues to trend upwards however and added two more hits in the early innings for the Twins. 17-year-old Ricardo Pena crushed his 2nd home run of his career. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Aaron Sanchez (St. Paul) - 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 ER, BB, 3 K Hitter of the Day – David Banuelos (St. Paul) - 3-4, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR(6) PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #6 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 0-3, RBI, BB, K #8 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 0-3, 2 K #12 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 1-4, R, BB, 2 K #16 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Wichita) - 0-4, 2 K THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Iowa @ St. Paul (7:07PM CST) - TBD NW Arkansas @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (6:40PM CST) - RHP Aaron Rozek Tampa @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - RHP Marco Raya Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games! It sure is exciting to have all four Twins full-season affiliates and the two Complex Season affiliates back and playing. View full article

There’s no denying the Minnesota Twins are going to make at least one trade prior to the August 2nd deadline. What level of moves they make are yet to be seen, but if you want them to acquire something of substance, it will come with a cost. Are you really ok with either Alex Kirilloff or Jose Miranda being moved? Last week, I looked at what the Twins well has in it. The reality is this farm system checks in somewhere between 12-18 across the league. There’s depth, but with graduations, many of the high-level performers aren’t there. Royce Lewis is hurt. Austin Martin is underperforming. Matt Canterino is a reliever. Brooks Lee and Connor Prielipp aren’t being moved this quickly, probably. There’s no doubt Minnesota would hope that teams are interested in hitters Spencer Steer and Matt Wallner, but I think it’s safe to say their ceilings are somewhat muted. Any GM worth their salt is starting high-return discussions with the likes of Alex Kirilloff and Jose Miranda. Both of them are at the major-league level, and removing them would hurt, but it’s a decision that the Twins may need to weigh. On Kirilloff, Minnesota finally has a player that’s found out how to deal with his wrist issues. Whether he’s got a clean bill of health or not, he’s making things work. Kirilloff is an asset in both left field and at first base defensively, but it’s his bat that’s always been the carrying tool. Over his last 30 games since returning from Triple-A, Kirilloff is slashing .301/.339/.456 with seven doubles and three homers. Though the home run potential is nowhere near where it will likely be, Kirilloff has continued to drive the ball to all fields. He’s a middle-of-the-order hitter and still just 24 years old. Despite a horrid start, Kirilloff has rebounded well and is under team control through 2027. Baseball Trade Values puts Kirilloff’s median value at 24.3 which ranks him as the 6th most valuable Twins asset. There’s no denying that moving him would hurt, but if Minnesota did choose to do so, they’d be looking for a substantial haul. On the other side of the infield, or sometimes sharing the same position, Jose Miranda has established himself as a legitimate big-league talent. He put up a ridiculous .973 OPS across Double and Triple-A last season to really break out and put himself on the national scene. Things started extremely slow for him this season, and on May 29th he was optioned in favor of Royce Lewis. Miranda owned a .183/.216/.338 line through his first 20 games but things turned when he never actually made it to St. Paul. Immediately returned to the Twins, Miranda was again in the lineup on May 30. Since that point he’s played in 40 games and owns a .313/.358/.531 slash line. Miranda has seven doubles and seven homers in that span, and while the K/BB ratio isn’t great, he looks every bit the competent power hitter on a corner that he appeared to be during his breakout. There’s no denying that Minnesota has Miranda penciled as a long-term fit at the hot corner, considering his deficiencies at first base, but teams will be trying to acquire his services in any blockbuster type of deal. Miranda is just 24-years-old, still has three options remaining, and still has his rookie status intact. Seen slightly less valuable by Baseball Trade Values, Miranda’s 20.3 median value is 8th amongst Twins players. So, with the real answer being neither, which of these two untouchables are you willing to allow an opposing team to acquire if the return is everything you want? View full article

The Minnesota Twins are guaranteed to be active during the next week. They have some significant roster decisions to address, both from an internal and talent acquisition standpoint. Looking at a few possibilities, all of the options could send substantial waves throughout the organization. Although this is trade deadline season, roster decisions aren’t just going to be made from the perspective of adding talent. Derek Falvey and Thad Levine will be tasked with figuring out which players make sense on the active roster now, and who they see as needing to be a part of the future. Considering three external options and one internal, which of the four following scenarios winds up being the most seismic move made in Twins Territory over the next week? 1. Miguel Sano gets DFA’d Having last played on April 30 and then undergoing knee surgery, Sano has found himself working his way back yet again. He began a rehab assignment on July 4 and posted a very strong 1.217 OPS across 12 games in his 20 allowable days. The biggest detractor for any team being interested in acquiring Sano is the correlation between production and pay. He’s still owed something north of $6 million combining the duration of this season and his buyout. Minnesota could swallow some of that when trying to find a trade partner, but he could also be a candidate to be DFA’d. Sano has had ups and downs in a Twins uniform, but leaving in a season having played less than 25 games and with a sub .500 OPS would be about as low as it gets. 2. A Frontline Starter is Acquired Fans have been clamoring since the offseason for Minnesota to acquire top-tier pitching. Sonny Gray qualified as that when the front office flipped former first-round pick Chase Petty. It’s clear that this rotation could use someone of equal or similar-ilk when looking towards the Postseason. There are not exactly that many names out there to be had, but this group would look like a deal for Frankie Montas, a pact for Luis Castillo, acquiring Tyler Mahle, or potentially netting Blake Snell. There are other starters that will be moved, but it’s hard to come up with many more names that will reach this level. 3. High-Leverage Relief is Grabbed Alongside a starter, Minnesota absolutely needs help in the bullpen. It’s been one of the worst units in the league for significant stretches this season, and outside of Jhoan Duran, the group has largely been shuffling deck chairs. It’s good that Tyler Duffey seems to have turned a corner, and maybe someone else emerges down the stretch, but it’s hard to view Jorge Alcala as a potential to return prominently at this point. A reliever in this category would be along the lines of Pirates All-Star David Bednar or Rockies closer Daniel Bard. If the Twins are going to be serious about the bullpen, they need a mate for Duran and someone that can confidently eat outs in the late innings. 4. Shock the Lineup With a Bat Arguably one of the hottest and coldest things for Rocco Baldelli’s club this season has been the lineup and run production. The worst position on the roster offensively has been behind the plate, and that was before Ryan Jeffers suffered a two-month injury. There aren't a ton of places for the Twins to prioritize a bat, but a backstop could be it. Willson Contreras is all but certain to be moved by the Cubs, and although it’s a luxury, man would that elevate Minnesota on both sides of the ball. Bovada also tabbed Minnesota as favorites to acquire the Nationals Jose Bell, which would be an odd fit, but he’s certainly been great this season. Which of these scenarios would be most surprising to you? Which one seems most likely? View full article